Breaking the Ice
by Yangyang
Summary: Takes place during the Secret of Him and I event. Toma noticed that his concierge, Anji, seemed more intimidated by him than she is with his brothers. What will Toma do to get her to be more comfortable around him so she can talk to him more?


**So ever since I started playing Several Shades of Sadism, I've noticed there's a lot of fanfiction posted throughout the net (not just ). But I've also noticed that there's hardly any SSS fanfictions here, so while I'm working on my Sonic the Hedgehog stories, I'll do my best to include some SSS here as well.**

 **For this story, Anji Nyugumo will be the OC character in place of MC... it's also the name of my MC character of the actual game itself.**

 **DISCLAIMER: ALL SSS CHARACTERS AND EVENTS BELONG TO ARITHMETIC INC.**

 **Well... now that that's out of the way, on with the story!**

 **O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Toma and his concierge, Anji Nyugumo came to a pottery town in Toyama Prefecture, which was MILES away from the hotel. They traveled overnight to reach the town by morning in search for a man name Ukyo Tono, who's known for his works in ceramics and pottery worldwide. Toma hoped to find Tono and create a business contract with him in order to use some of his works for his hotel.

At first, they didn't have any luck finding him in the pottery stores in town. But after having a lunch break in a high class restaurant, Anji was able to spot one of his works on one of the soup bowls, so they called the chef to ask for directions to Tono's place.

Toma was thrilled when Tono happily agreed to sign a contract with him allowing him to use his dishware and pottery in his hotel. The man even offered free ceramic lessons to the two not only as a thank you gift from him, but to understand the quality of the ceramics and how it's made. But Toma was even more grateful to Anji, for if she hadn't spot his works back at the restaurant, they'd still be searching for him until nightfall with no luck.

Tired and famished, they both arrived at a nearby Inn to rest for the night… however; they were only able to book one room for tonight, so they had to share. But what made Anji even more nervous was that fact that this room only had one bedroom… which meant that she'll actually be staying in the SAME ROOM as her boss!

"Well… are you going to stand at the doorway all night or are you going to come in?" Toma snapped her out of her daze just when her mind was starting to think dirty thoughts on her and her boss.

"Ah, c-coming…" Anji scurried inside with her belongings as Toma sighed and shook his head at his concierge's anxiousness.

"This is the only room they can offer on such short notice, so deal with it. The rest of the rooms are all booked solid" Toma said as he began unpacking his cloths and laptop. "And don't worry; I won't do anything untoward to you during our stay. As I said before: I have no interest in you whatsoever"

"Of course, sir" Anji sighed in relief as she began unpacking her things as well. However, she felt a small twinge in her heart when he told her that he wasn't interested in her. Anji had no idea why she felt that way but for now, she decided to just ignore it.

"Well, I'm going to go take a bath. Is there anything else you need before I go, sir?"

"Nope, that'll be all" Toma waved off at her before opening his laptop to do some work. "Go ahead and take your bath"

"Very well, sir; I'll be in the bath house if you need me" Anji bowed before exiting the room.

Inside the bath house, Anji was soaking quietly in the tub; enjoying the warmth of the mineral water relaxing her body. Soon her thoughts began to drift towards her boss, Toma; starting from the first night she became his private concierge. Anji remembered how frightened she was when Toma tried to make a pass at her (she can still feel the after-effects of how he groped her derrière) just to see if she's the kind of woman who goes after men with money. Not only that, the man was unforgivingly strict about her work performance and her appearance. At one point, Toma almost fired her for not handling a dispute among his brothers! And let's not forget her coffee-making skills (or lack of); that alone seemed to be the very thing that sets Toma off faster than anything.

But today, Toma's been a lot less harsh around her. If anything, he seems nicer and less guarded around her today. Definitely not like yesterday when he cracked the whip on her about her job performance! Not only that, he's even more attentive to her as well. Why, the man bought her a drink despite him being tired from no sleep when they drove here and he treated her to lunch at an expensive restaurant!

Of course, Anji isn't complaining about it! And why would she? If anything, it felt really nice—refreshing, even… to see a softer, gentler side of her boss. Truthfully, that side of him made him a lot more attractive than when he was being strict with her.

After her bath, Anji changed into her yukata and headed back to the room. When she got there, she noticed Toma had already taken a bath as well. He was also dressed in his yukata and his hair was still wet.

"I'm back"

"Hey, how's the bath?"

"It was nice, thank you. Shall I order dinner for us?"

"No need; I've already contacted room service before I went to take a bath" Toma reply while finishing up his work on the laptop. "They should arrive with dinner in about… 10 more minutes; give or take"

"I see…" Anji then notices Toma's hair was still dripping wet. "Mr. Toma, your hair is still wet"

"Oh, it is?" Toma ran his finger into his silver locks of hair. "I haven't noticed"

"Just a minute…" Anji goes to get a towel for Toma so he can dry his hair. "Here you go"

"Thanks" Toma began drying his hair at rather inelegant-like motions. He then noticed that some of the water from his hair has dripped down his back and chest, so he took off the top part of his yukata and started wiping off the excess water with the towel.

"Oh… my god…!" Anji jaw dropped at the sight of her boss' incredible hot body. She admired the way his arms flexed when he wiped off the water droplet trailing down his incredibly sexy chest and abs.

"Is it possible for him to be any sexier than he already is?" Soon, Anji was snapped out of her dreamy state by Toma's stern voice.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Ah, s-sorry, I didn't mean to… I-I mean I wasn't, I… oh…" Anji was at a loss for words, for she was too embarrassed that she got caught staring at him.

"There's a small gray bag in my luggage I forgot to unpack. Can you get for me, please?" Toma asked while rubbing his chin.

"Right away, sir" Anji bowed as she went to grab the item and handed it to Toma. She resumed drying her own hair while Toma opened up the gray bag, pulled out an electric razor and started shaving.

While shaving the stubbles underneath his chin, Toma looked over at Anji who quickly looked away after being caught staring for the second time tonight. However, rather than getting annoyed with her, Toma decided to have some fun teasing her instead.

"You're certainly an odd duck today" Toma looked at Anji as she was staring back at him.

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me; you know exactly what I'm talking about" Toma smirked at his concierge while shaving the last bits of his stubble along his jawline. "You act as if you've never seen a man shave his face before"

"Wait, what?!" Toma laughed as Anji's face immediately turned cherry tomato red.

"I saw the way you looked at me…" Toma shut his razor off and turned to face Anji while rubbing his chin seductively. "You like it when I shave, don't you?"

"M-Mr. Toma, please…!" Anji looked away in embarrassment while tugging the knots out of her hair.

"Don't be embarrassed; you know you like it… just like how you like watching me drying myself, earlier" Toma applied some after-shave balm on his face whilst laughing at Anji's bewildered expression. "Never thought my own concierge would be such a peeping tom"

"I am not!" Completely flustered at her boss' playful behavior, Anji stuck her tongue out at him before resuming combing her hair. "It's not my fault you have a beautiful smile, a handsome face, and nice body to match"

While Anji was combing out the remaining knots in her hair, Toma walked over and took the comb from. Anji looked up to him in protest, but immediately blushed when he knelt down so close behind her.

"May I…?"

Anji nodded as Toma began detangling each piece of her hair in such swift, effortless motions. She was amazed how she didn't feel a single tug on her scalp when Toma combed all the knots out of her hair. Anji shut her eyes blissfully as Toma combed through her hair, enjoying the soft touch of his fingers running across her scalp.

"Your hair has gotten a bit longer…" Toma whispered as he continued to comb through her hair until it was dry and fixed it into a bun.

As soon as he was done fixing Anji's hair, dinner finally arrived. Toma and Anji enjoyed their meal in silence until Anji excused herself to make a quick phone call. When she came back, she found Toma fast asleep on the recliner. She couldn't help but smile at the innocent look on his face when he slept soundly.

"Well, it's no surprise seeing that he hadn't slept since last night…" Anji thought as she placed a blanket over him. She then went over to the bedroom and set up the futon mattresses with blankets and pillows. After that, Anji then loosen her hair out of the bun and changed into her white, long sleeve silk nightgown. As soon as everything was set up for tonight, the door suddenly opened reveling Toma who had changed into his navy blue pajamas.

"Anji, I thought you were asleep?"

"Oh, Mr. Toma; I was just about to wake you up to come to bed" Anji answered.

"I see…" Toma replied as he made himself comfortable on the futon bed. "You could've just gone right to bed, you know?"

"It's fine; I just wanted to make sure you sleep properly tonight"

"Fair enough" Toma shrugged before turning off the light. "Good night, Anji"

"Good night, Mr. Toma…" Anji yawned before snuggling in her blanket. Thirty minutes has passed by when Toma felt some movement on the other side of the bed. He looked over to see Anji tucking herself deeper into the blankets.

"What's the matter, you can't sleep?"

"No, just feeling a bit chilly" Anji answered. "But I'll be fine; don't worry about me"

Toma sighed as he got up from his spot and snatched the blanket from Anji.

"S-Sir, what are you-"

"Don't be so timid to ask for extra blankets if you need some" Toma took his and Anji's blanket and put them together to before draping it over both of them. Toma then pulled Anji by the wrist and wrapped his other arm around her waist pulling her close to him.

"Better now?"

"Um, y-yes sir… much better" Anji can feel her heart pounding loudly on her chest, for she can feel just how close their bodies are by the way his body heat radiated towards her own.

"Good… now get some sleep" Toma yawned as he snuggled closer to her and laid his head on the crook of her neck. "We've got a long drive in the morning"

Anji, of course, couldn't go to sleep right away, for she was far too excited now that her boss… the man she was seriously crushing on for months now… is now cuddled up beside her in bed. Almost every night she dreamt that one day they'd be like this together… as a couple.

…And now part of her dream has come true! Anji couldn't help but enjoy the feel of his broad chest and arms wrapped around her body protectively, the scent of his expensive body wash and after-shave filling her nostrils, and the feel of his warm breath tickling down her neck as Toma slept soundly beside her.

… At least she thought he was asleep until she felt his body shifted beside her.

The arms that were wrapped around her waist now reached up to gently stroke her hair. Anji's body shivered when she felt him tracing his finger down her neck and ran his hand up and down her shoulder.

"Hey, are you still awake?" Toma's voice woke Anji right out of her erotic daze as she turn back to answer him.

"I am… I'm just resting my eyes, though" Anji answered. "Is there anything you need, sir?"

"Turn around and face me; there's something I want to ask you"

Obediently, Anji shifted her body so that she was facing Toma. She couldn't help but admire how the moonlight shone through his hair and along the contours of his face. His ocean blue eyes glowed almost as bright as the moon itself, thus, giving him a god-like appearance. He was indeed a very attractive man…almost like a fallen angel who came down from heaven just to be with her.

However, Toma had a forlorn expression on his face, with a hint of loneliness in his eyes. The last time Anji saw that look on his face is when he first found his biological father at that event held for all the politicians in the world back at the hotel. Soon her thoughts were interrupted when Toma's voice broke the silence between them.

"Why are you always so nervous around me?"

"Huh?" Talk about a million dollar question! Anji was completely caught off-guard when he asked her this. Even though Anji has a good reason for being nervous around him, she NEVER thought that Toma would one day ask her about it.

"I…I'm not sure I understand what do you mean by that, sir"

"Whenever you interact with my brothers, you speak to them in a normal, yet, respectful manner" Toma explained. "But when you interact with me, you seem so frantic, timid… and many times, scared of me. Even when you have an issue about something, you seem hesitant to talk to me about it. Why is that?"

Anji was in quite a quandary tonight. In the first place, this wasn't just any hotel guest she was speaking to; this was her BOSS! The owner of the hotel branch she's working at... and yet, here he is asking for her opinion about him. The thing with Anji is that she is honest to a fault. She has no problem speaking her mind about something if the situation calls for it. But there were many times her outspoken abilities often get her into some trouble… and by the looks of it, there's no way Anji can give an answer to Toma without the risk of getting fired.

However, there's something completely different about Toma tonight. He seemed so calmer, gentler, and earlier he was actually playful around her. It felt as if he was trying to get Anji to see him in a different light... like he wanted to show her that the cold, emotionless man she thought she knew is not who he appears to be.

"Anji…" Toma place his hand on Anji's cheek and caressed it gently. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No, of course not; it's just…well…" Anji did her best to give Toma a proper answer. "You're my boss. There are certain things I can't say or do around you because of that"

Toma thought about it for a while before responding. "Okay, well how about this: just for tonight, pretend I'm not your boss. Pretend that I'm just some guy that you know for a long time… and you're sharing the same bed with because…I don't know… you have a crush on him or something like that. Just tell me exactly what you think of me as a person" Toma reached up and tuck another strand of hair behind her ear. "…And be honest"

Seeing as how there's no way around it, Anji gave a deep sigh before giving her response. "Well, you're a very hard worker, all the employees look up to you, not to mention how your strict teachings helped us improve our skills to ensure top class service to our guest"

"That doesn't really answer my question"

"I'm getting to that" Anji interrupted Toma before continuing her feedback. "That being said, when it came to interacting with those closest to you, you tend to close yourself off from others, you don't exactly do a good job with making yourself sociable with anyone especially with me and your brothers, and whenever I do talk to you or have a question to ask, you tend to be very vague in your words… yet, it puzzles me how you'd get angry at me for not understanding anything you say"

"So in other words, I'm too cold and harsh?" Toma asked.

"In a word; yes" Anji answered truthfully. "But you're lot stricter with yourself than you are with anyone around you. Any time you work, you rarely ever take a break – unless you want to count falling asleep on the couch as break. Plus, when it came to knowing when to care for your own health, you're too stubborn to listen to reason. Also, I understand you don't want to show any type of weakness in front of anyone… especially in front of President Kira. But sometimes you have to remember that at the end of the day, you're still human. You're allowed to make mistakes once in a while… as long as you learn from them and never do it again"

For once, Toma couldn't find to words to say anything back. Deep down, he knew that everything Anji was saying was spot on. Toma stayed silent as he continued to listen to his concierge's feedback.

"Basically, what I'm trying to say is that nobody's perfect. Take a look at me: I still can't make a decent cup of coffee the way you want it. But then again, you're a very tough customer to please, Mr. Toma. But that's not going to stop me from continuing to keep improving my skills as a concierge. Plus, after spending some time working under you… well, you're the last person I would considered to be cold hearted"

When Anji finished speaking, Toma was dead silent for a good while. Anji was anxious that her boss' reply will be, but still kept her composure as she waited patiently for his respond. After a moment or two, Anji was able to relax her nerves when she heard the sound of Toma chuckling.

"In all my years of being a hotel owner, I've never a woman, or any employees in general, speak to me in such a blunt manner before" Toma eyed Anji in amusement. "Tell me something, Anji; do you always cut people to the core when you're this honest?"

"Only if the situation calls for it" Anji replied. "And with all due respect, sir, you did ask for my honest opinion. So… there it is"

"Hmm… 'Honest to a fault'… it seems that the rumors about were indeed true" Toma propped his arm underneath his head as he looked on at Anji with pure interest. "You know, I've never met a woman like you before. You're always optimistic, hard worker as well, and very energetic. But above all, you're a very beautiful woman, indeed… with a sweet, kind-hearted personality… and a feisty attitude when provoked. I think now I understand why my brothers were all so smitten by you. Women like you are very rare creatures indeed. He-heh, I guess I should consider myself lucky that I got one sleeping in the same bed with me"

"M-Mr. Toma…" Anji looked down shyly, both flattered and flustered by his compliment.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Anji timidly shook her head no before Toma spoke up once more. "Have you ever had one?"

Anji thought for a while before answering. "Four years ago back in college. It was a pretty messy break up"

"What happened?" Toma asked.

"We've been together for about three years since senior year in high school. During our last year in college, the subject of sex came into the conversation and I told him that I wasn't ready. At first, he seemed understanding of my choice to wait… but then a week later, he stopped returning my calls and I found out through a mutual friend that he had cheated on me with a close friend of mine. When I confronted him, his excuses were 'it's my fault for being such a prude' and 'I can't wait that long'"

"I'm sorry that happened" Toma said sincerely.

"It's alright… if anything, this ordeal showed me that we just weren't meant to be in the first place. Plus, it served as a harsh reminder of why actions speak louder than words." Anji smiled sadly. "Ever since that day, I just stayed focused on my career and have been riding solo ever since"

"Well, too bad for him" Toma reached over to brush the bangs away from her eyes. "Because what I see before me is a lovely woman with so much to offer. If you ask me, your ex is a damn fool to let you go for some random hussy. You deserve some who knows how to treat you right… and make you feel good as well"

Toma raked his fingers inside her auburn brown hair and planted a kiss on her forehead. Anji heart started racing when his hand slid down from her hair and along her side; feeling every curve of her body. Toma then pulled Anji close to him to kiss her on her cheek and another one on the bridge of her nose. Anji's body shivered in pleasure when she felt Tom's hand caressing her lower back.

"You're trembling again. Are you still cold?"

"N-no, I… it's just… um…" Anji looked away in embarrassment; unsure of what to say about their current situation. However, Toma was able to figure her out quickly by the way she squirmed at his gentle caresses.

"You're inexperience with this, are you?"

Anji nodded timidly confirming Toma's suspicions. "At least… not the way you do it"

"I see…" Toma smirked before pulling her closer to him. "You needn't be so nervous around me, Anji. As I said before: I won't make you do anything you're not comfortable with. Also, don't be ashamed for holding out for someone who isn't right for you. If anything, I respect you for that…and it's what I also find most attractive about you"

Toma's lips curled into a beautiful smile as his hand that was on her waist is now gently caressing her full back. Anji felt a jolt of pleasure on her spine as she felt his fingers softly grazing along her spine; exploring each and every bump that's there.

"(Gasp) Ahh…" Anji gave a light moan while squirming in his embrace when she felt the heat spreading down her body from his gentle caresses. Toma's hands were strong, but they felt so soft and smooth as silk when he gliding them up and down her back and along her sides.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Toma widely grinned at Anji while she shyly turned away in response. "Don't be shy. Your reaction shows me that you've learned to trust me more. Perhaps one day we'll be able to… get to know each another better"

Slowly, Anji stared back at her boss, who in turn caressed her on the cheek. He then took her by the chin and traced her lips with his thumb causing. Anji's heart started beating rapidly as this kind of gesture usually indicates what's about to happen next…

"God, you're so beautiful…"

Next thing she knew, Toma had replaced his thumb with his lips upon hers. First, he started off with a chaste kiss, then a couple more to see how she would react. After a moment or two, Toma tilted his head sideways to deepen the kiss.

Anji remembered the first night she became his concierge, Toma had made some unwelcome advances on her just because he thought she was after his money… but now she finds herself welcoming his advances by slowly kissing him back. Anji enjoyed the soft tenderness of his hands roaming her body through the fabric of her silk nightgown, savoring the taste of his saliva as his tongue explored deep inside her mouth, and melting under the sounds of his deep moans when he kissed her passionately and lovingly. Whatever hidden feelings they had for each other was all conveyed into one hot, steamy kiss.

They continued to make out with each other for about 5 minutes before pulling away from each other to get some air. They stared deeply into each other eyes for a moment or two before looking away in embarrassment.

"Um… I… oh my…"

"Wow… I'm… I'm so sorry about this, Anji. I- I didn't mean to… wow…" Toma immediately separate himself from Anji, sat up from the bed and ran his hand through his silver hair. "I don't know what came over me… this was…"

"No, no, it's… okay… really" Anji reassured her boss. "We… both got caught up in the moment. It just… happen… you know?"

"Yeah…" There was a long, awkward silence between the two until Toma cleared his throat to speak up once more. "So, yeah, um… I'm just going to go to the living room and sleep on the couch. You can stay here… okay?"

"Okay..."

Toma got up from his spot and headed for the doorway to the living room. When he looked back at Anji, he noticed that she had a hint of loneliness in her expression.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

Anji smiled back at her boss before answering "Don't worry about me, sir; I'll be fine"

Knowing that she was putting on a front for his sake, Toma walked back to his concierge, knelt down in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"About what just happened tonight? Let's keep that between us. Okay?"

Anji nodded before Toma leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead. He got back up again and headed for doorway, but not before taking one last glance at her.

"Have a goodnight, Anji. I'll see you in the morning" Toma smiled kindly at her before leaving the room.

"Goodnight, Mr. Toma" Anji whispered softly to him before he closed the door.

Anji sighed as she lied back down on the futon bed. Not only was she shocked by Toma's actions as well as her own tonight… but now she suddenly finds herself wishing for him to be back by her side again. She closed her eyes recapping how he held her tonight, the gentleness of his voice when he whispered sweet-nothings in her ears, the tenderness she felt from his caresses, and that fiery passion she felt from that kiss. One would wonder if they had taken things much further tonight.

"No, that will never happen" Anji sighed as she turned to her side facing when Toma had slept. "I'm just his private concierge. There's no way he'll see me as anything more than that. Plus, I still can't make a decent cup of coffee for him"

As Anji pulled the blankets over her shoulders to sleep, a familiar scene caught her attention. When she leaned over to where Toma had stayed, she caught a scent of his aftershave on his pillow. She couldn't help but smile to herself before taking the pillow in her arms and snuggle with it until she fell into a deep sleep.

One thing Anji knows for certain: she may not been able to get the guy, but at least she wasn't cold anymore…

THE END

 **Let me know what you think; leave your comments below. You can also find this story at "Works of Our Own" and Wattpad.**

 **Well, better get ready for work! Ciao for now! ;)**


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